A Sad Promenade

'...oh...I do like to be beside the seaside...oh I do like to be beside the sea...'

At the North end of the promenade a residential home minibus lurches and grinds to a halt by the edge of the slipway.
The hoist squeals in protest as it inches downward with a wheelchair.
The wheels make contact with the slippery cobbles and slides, tipping the crumpled occupant on to the sand.
The chair is hauled upright by a cursing carer and an old women is dragged by another roughly to her feet and dropped back into the seat.
A cursory brush down and a yellow polka dot sun hat readjusted.
Another with swollen blistered feet sits on a small electric buggy, sobbing.
Shivering , a stick thin man sits arms with arms crossed, fingers cling to bony shoulders.
In the bus, a frail broken figure is propped up to face the sea.
Nothing will be seen through his sightless eyes that roll like cherries in the arcade slots. The smell and the sound of waves, a distant memory.

'...oh I do like to be beside the seaside...oh I do like to be beside the sea...'

At the South end of the promenade a pickup truck laden with straw bales labours and smokes as it tows a rattling livestock trailer box towards the promenade green.
It swings precariously from side to side as it strikes the kerb and twists sideways up and on to the grass.
Three men spill out and in silence erect a ring of orange rope.
Straw bales are positioned to the points of a clock , twelve, three, six and nine.
The box ramp is lowered and a protesting donkey is hauled out by the tail.
Another is grabbed by the ears, kicked and prodded to one side.
Three more are dragged out from the cramped box, they stand together shaking in the warm sun, their doleful eyes weep despair.
One displays angry red sores that show through buffed fur, its companion stumbles over deformed feet, the smallest of the trio has an ear missing.
An Adopt a Donkey sign is hastily raised, the price for admission to the ring obscured.

'...oh...I do like to be beside the seaside...oh I do like to be beside the sea...'